Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-04-21


as little bookish as possible" Don't
talk shop. A medical man who talks
necessarily of pills and plasters and the
amputstion of limbs, or a priggish at
torney who never lifts himself out of
the court atmosphere. and whose entire
conversation betrays the absorption of
his mind in one pursuit, becomes vol
untary bore. The world has little tol-
erance for monopolists and monopo-
lies. In society, in the professions, in
the classroom, we should find our level
in the conditions our environments inn
pose. A wise man educes the opin-
ions of others, after imparting his own
thought, with view to lessen the dis
parity between his own mind and the
mind of the humblest and most unpre-
tentious member of the company. In
some relations the heart is greater
factor than the intellect. Among a
pack of school-boys, a pedant, like
Casaubon, becomes the veriest fool in
the room. Avoid vulgar colloquial-
isms and slang. There is grisly
fairy story of a beautiful young woman
from whose mouth. when she opened
it, dropped frogs and toads. 81 am al
ways reminded of this story" says an
English gentleman of good breeding,
''when ! hear young lady talk slang"
Enough words are in everyday use to
express the incest shade of meaning
without resorting to the low idiom of
the tap-room. Bad words contaminate
the blood as insidiously as do the
microbes of disease and the poisonous
germs that infest animal food. No
gentleman is profane; no lady uses
slang.
Conversation, to be improving, must
be earnest and sincere. The writer
would commend plan inaugurated by
a lady in Boston, as thus described by
an intimate friend: "The usual hour for
these conversations was eleven in the
morning. The persons present were
usually twenty-five or thirty in number
rarely less, sometimes more-and
they were among the most alert and
active-minded women in Boston. Ten
or dozen usually took active part in
the talk. The leaders, method was to
begin each subject with a short intro
duction, giving the outline of the sub
ject, and suggesting the most effective
points of view. This done, she invited
questions and criticisms; if these
Jagged she put questions herself, using
persuasions for the timid, kindly rail
lery for the Indifferent. There was al
ways theme and a thread. One whole
winter was devoted through thirteen
conversations-to the fine arts; another
to ethics, in different applications; an
other to education, in various aspects
another to the proper influence Of
women on family, school, church, So
ciety and literature. On some of these
subjects she had in her circle undoubt.
ed experts, who knew or carried particu
lar points more than she did. OF these
she availed herself, butIkept the reins
in her own hands. We all know thai
the best-planned talk is lottery; to,
day blanks, tomorrow prizes and
there were times when the leader could
bring out no cooperation, and had tc
fall back on monologue. But this was
not common; and even the imperfec'
fragments given in the way of report
are enough to show the general success
of these occasions"
Conversation parties are not fashion
able to-day, for young people require
amusements and games. But who car
estimate the benefit that would resul
from such scheme as the above if i
were to become popular, and converse
ton were studied as a useful as well a
polite art We may be sure the gail
would more than compensate for an,
loss of time taken from other tasks.
The frivolous banter with which yer,
many fashionable people while ava.
their leisure hours is not conversation
Among intelligent men and women,
love of gossip is deplorably real. Th
newspapers have done great deal {,
create a taste for sensational news
But we can remedy the evil by takin,
more exalted views of life, by readin.
aud rejecting, by meeting to discuss
in an intelligent spirit, subjects tina
have an educational value and rea
and practical interest; and by improv
ing our conversation we extend ou
influence and lengthen our lives -Har
old Van Santcoord, IN S. S. Times.